Drought Tolerant Plants

There are many ways that you can help reduce water usage in your garden, including using mulches, adding lots of moisture-holding organic matter into the soil, watering your garden in the cool of the day, applying specialised polymer films over foliage to reduce water loss and using soil wetting agents to assist water penetration down into the soil where it’s needed. You can also include plants in your garden that are more tolerant of dry conditions, so you can still have a great looking garden, even during periods of drought and water restrictions.

Drought tolerant plants will still need an occasional good deep drink and it’s important to water new plants regularly until they’re established. Plant labels will usually indicate whether the plant will cope with dry conditions, but we’ve created a handy list of drought tolerant plants to help point you in the right direction.

Many Australian native plants have become adapted to surviving on low levels of water and there’s a wide range of fantastic foliage and beautiful flowering plants to choose from, that are ideal for including in low water use gardens.

Flowering plants bring wonderful colour into our gardens and outdoor spaces and help attract birds, bees and other beneficial insects. Many flowering plants can still thrive with low amounts of water, so you don’t have to miss out on having a vibrant garden during dry weather. 

Many of our favourite fragrant herbs originated in a Mediterranean climate and do really well in dry conditions, so are a great choice for including in low water use gardens, including in pots, troughs and hanging baskets. 

Succulents & cacti are ideally suited to dry conditions, having developed clever ways to store water and cut down on moisture loss. There is a huge variety of colourful succulents and cacti that are tough and hardy and help make gardening easier during drought conditions.